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Slain couple remembered for their love, dedication

The funeral procession carrying the bodies of Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence, the first two people police believe were killed by Christopher Dorner, leaves Concordia University in Irvine after the memorial on Sunday. The couple met at Concordia University and were engaged.
(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times / February 24, 2013)

On the same Concordia University campus where Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence met and fell in love, friends and family remembered the young couple Sunday for their humility, selflessness and love of basketball.

Helped to the podium by family, Lawrence's younger brother, Kris, whispered, "I can do this, I can do this" as he struggled against tears to pay tribute to the protective older brother who he said always did the right thing and comforted him as a child when he was scared of the dark.

"His patience grew so large because of me," Lawrence said at the memorial service for the engaged couple.

Marcia Foster, head coach of Cal State Fullerton's women's basketball team, said Quan, 28, was an assistant coach who inspired her players to be more competitive and better people.

"Breathing in and out is hard right now," Foster said. "I've been through a lot in my life, but nothing has shaken me as much as this."

The couple were the first victims of former Los Angeles police Officer Christopher Dorner, whose violent rampage also resulted in the shooting deaths of a Riverside police officer and a San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy. Dorner later took his own life.

Police said Quan was targeted because Dorner apparently believed that her father, Randal Quan, a former captain with the Los Angeles Police Department, did not fairly represent Dorner at a hearing over his firing in 2009.

In a Facebook post that authorities have described as his manifesto, Dorner warned the elder Quan that "suppressing the truth will lead to deadly consequences for you and your family."

Monica Quan and Lawrence, 27, were recently engaged and had yet to pick a date for their wedding when they were found shot to death in their car Feb. 3 in the parking structure of their Irvine condominium complex.

On Sunday, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined more than 1,000 family, friends and law enforcement officers at the memorial service in the school's gymnasium. An overflow room was added to accommodate the crowd.

"This is where they fell in love," said Ken Amman, head coach of the school's men's basketball team where Lawrence was a player. "Basketball revealed the people they were."

In Lawrence's case, it revealed a player who stood up for the little guy and always remained cool-headed.

Chris Merriweather, Lawrence's close friend, said that "whenever I was around Keith, I wanted to act better and make better decisions."

Merriweather remembered Lawrence as an aggressive point guard who often overpowered his opponents on the court, yet he always picked the weakest players for a pickup game. "He never left anyone behind," Merriweather said.

As a public safety officer at USC, Lawrence impressed his superiors with his professionalism.

"Keith showed an awareness for the essence of what this job is about," said John Thomas, chief of USC's Police Department, who noted that Lawrence was less interested in putting people in jail and more inclined to focus on safety education, with an ability to speak with people from all walks of life.